AGNES AT KOKO: A MIGHTY HOOPLA MOMENT IN THE MAKING

LIVE REVIEW | AGNES | KOKO CAMDEN, LONDON | 28th January 2026 by Kevin O’Sullivan

KOKO has always carried an air of glamour, but on Wednesday 28th January it felt perfectly matched to AGNES. With its ornate balconies, velvet shadows and decadent history, the venue provided an ideal backdrop for a pop artist who blends control, confidence and spectacle. Lady Gaga comparisons are inevitable, but AGNES stands firmly on her own, delivering a performance that felt cinematic while remaining disarmingly human.

Anticipation was unmistakable long before doors opened. Fans had been queuing during the day, determined to secure central barrier, and that devotion shaped the atmosphere inside the room. Even the pre-show DJ sets from Jonjo Jury and Kris Di Angelis featuring Nansee, both clearly talented, felt secondary. The crowd was not there to be eased into the evening. They were there for one artist, and they knew it.

When AGNES finally stepped onstage, the reaction was immediate and overwhelming. The roar that greeted her visibly stopped her in her tracks, and this response became a defining feature of the night. Throughout the set, she paused repeatedly between songs, smiling, hand to chest, allowing the noise to crest and subside before continuing. Rather than disrupting momentum, these moments deepened the connection, turning the performance into a shared experience rather than a rigidly rehearsed display.

Opening with ’24 Hours’ and ‘Here Comes the Night’, she established control without stiffness. The set felt loosely choreographed, leaving room for spontaneity and emotional response. Tracks such as ‘Milk’, ‘TRIGGER’ and ‘NOT CAPABLE’ landed with confidence and clarity, while backing dancers and singers added movement and texture without distracting from her presence. Everything felt considered, yet alive.

Vocally, AGNES was flawless. Across ‘Ego’, ‘FOCUS’ and ‘Balenciaga Covered Eyes’, she demonstrated complete command of her range, hitting every note with precision and ease. Her voice never faltered, even as she repeatedly paused to acknowledge the crowd’s reaction. These breaks became part of the rhythm of the show, reinforcing the sense of genuine exchange.

‘Fingers Crossed’ included full band introductions, offering a brief reset before ‘Love and Appreciation’, a track that perfectly reflected the mood in the room. The set closed with ‘Release Me’, a song boasting 170 million Spotify streams and still carrying enormous emotional weight. As the crowd sang every word back to her, AGNES once again paused, visibly moved, before delivering the final lines.

This was my first gig of the year, and it set the bar high. AGNES is confirmed as one of the key artists at Mighty Hoopla, taking place at Brockwell Park on 30th and 31st May, and on this evidence she is worth the ticket price alone. Widely billed as the world’s best pop festival, Mighty Hoopla has built its reputation on bold bookings, inclusivity and pop spectacle, and AGNES fits that identity perfectly. KOKO was the ideal venue for the glamour and intimacy of the night, but judging by the reception she received, next time she plays London it will need to be significantly bigger.

Mighty Hoopla takes place at Brockwell Park on 30th and 31st May. Tickets are on sale now via the official Mighty Hoopla website.